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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24343066">Crossroads</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/YoshisGallery/pseuds/YoshisGallery'>YoshisGallery</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Medieval, Fantasy, M/M, Masturbation</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 07:42:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,818</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24343066</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/YoshisGallery/pseuds/YoshisGallery</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A valiant young knight, traveling through the wilderness and still mourning the loss of his loving squire, rescues a curious young stranger from some bandits.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Squire</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Originally written in 1999 and published to Usenet.  Unfinished/abandoned.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The sun was just starting to peak over the crest of the velvety mountains as I came to the crossroads. My horse was only a little winded as we?d broken camp off only a half hour ago, but I stopped there anyway. I looked down each path, even though I knew where I was going. The east path was the most well-traveled and widest; it ran along the steep, ragged foothills towards the small fishing villages of the coast, and farther on towards the small kingdoms of the eastern peninsula. West was less well-traveled but still navigable, winding along between the sheer cliffs of the mountains and the edge of a small forest, towards the farms of the great western plains and eventually the Great Cities of the West. North was the least traveled and roughest of the paths, which sloped fiercely into the jagged mountains and was about as wide as the distance between a horse?s front legs. I?d been down each path and seen where they all went, and I knew that going east or west would eventually allow me to cut north and bypass the mountains, but it meant another two days of travel and I was already in a hurry to get home. </p><p>As I gazed up towards the peaks, my mind drifted to Astrali Domin, the kingdom I called home. I had been away for a month, sent on a diplomatic mission to the Saxistan Empire on the request of my Queen. The Emperor was a lecherous old man and Queen Tyas knew that he would be too distracted by my good looks to negotiate a treaty that would be anything less than generous to our Kingdom. She?s a very intelligent woman, to be sure, somehow knowing that the regal and proper Emperor prefers men; knowledge like that would be well-guarded in the Empire, as the Saxistines consider any sexuality whatsoever in their leaders a sign of weakness. The Queen also has a good head on her shoulders to know that I?m one of the best looking of the Knights; while most tend to get bulky and dog-faced over the years of fighting, I?ve remained remarkable boyish and attractive. Of course, I am still quite young, barely twenty-five. And, of course, humility was never one of my strong suits, but false vanity is a dangerous vice, so I know myself and accept the truth without sugar-coating anything.</p><p>Traveling alone wasn't a normal thing for a Knight of the High Order. While we were trained to fight with the strength of five men, bandits tended to travel in larger packs than that, so we were usually paired with another knight or two, and of course our squires. Explaining why I was alone is somewhat painful to me, even though I tried to pretend it wasn't. My squire was killed about three months before, and I hadn't taken another. TarTau was special to me, for reasons that are slightly embarrassing to recount. Squires were rather infamous for serving their Lord Knights in all areas that need to be serviced, which did include... private matters. Needless to say, a Knight with a good squire never needed to worry about sexual frustration. For me, however, TarTau meant more to me than he probably should. He was adorably cute and full of overeager energy, and really liked the part of squirehood that included taking care of my private needs whenever and wherever I wanted. The other Knights knew about our close relationship and would poke fun at me about it. Though homosexuality was not really looked down upon, it was against protocol for a lord to have a real relationship with a commoner, and TarTau had taken to sharing more than just my professional life. His death was a mere accident caused by his own carelessness, but it still hurt. I was a Knight though, so I continued on without showing any emotion, but I couldn't yet bring myself to replace him. It would just feel wrong to do it so soon.</p><p>I refocused my mind and looked up towards the mountains ahead of me. My horse was starting to get impatient, and I patted him on the side of his neck and made some reassuring noises. If we hurried, we could clear the mountains in two days, and probably avoid running into any bandits. There was a village right below the highest pass that I should be able to make just after dusk if I rode my horse hard.</p><p>I spurred my steed on and guided him up towards the sloping foothills. The sun broke over the tops of the peaks but the path kept up with the shadows until almost noon, when we were well inside the mountain range and up inside the more temperate climate, still chilly from the morning shadows. My thoughts had dwelt mostly on TarTau and the way he?d be there in my bed every morning when I woke up, his small body wrapped snugly around mine, his face buried in my neck. He?d wake up almost immediately as I did, and I?d run my fingers through his hair and kiss him and feel the familiar sensation of his arousal against my hip. It would take him only a few seconds to slide below and engulf me completely in his mouth, and with an expert?s skill he?d bring me to the absolute heights of satisfaction within a few minutes. And then I?d do the same for him, or perhaps enter him if I were still aroused, and make love to him until it was time for morning duty. That was the part I missed the most, waking up with someone there with me. I don?t really think I was that much in love with him, but the memories were all delicious and the emptiness he left was painful. </p><p>When I got over the first of the passes, the path broke into a small, green valley. Up ahead the path was level for awhile and then continued to ascend towards the next, higher pass. It was about time for a break, so I led the horse off the path into a meadow and dismounted, letting him graze and breaking out my supplies.</p><p>First thing was first, though, as the morning?s thoughts of TarTau had left me quite aroused. I set my bag down and walked away from the path, towards a small grove of trees. I found a nice, soft spot on a slight downward bank away from the view of the road, just in case anyone would happen by while I wasn?t paying attention. I sat down and unbuckled my sword, letting it plop down in the grass beside me. I worked at my leather travel armor, doffing the trousers in a pile, and pulled down the pants, letting my erection fly free. It was already solid and wet from a morning of fantasizing. The thought of a Knight of the High Order having to take care of himself like this was still kind of silly to me, even though I?d been resorting to it at least once a day for the last few months. I gripped myself and began to think about TarTau again and how hot his mouth was. I?d never been with anyone who so enjoyed taking care of my sexual needs like he did. In my mind?s eye, he was sitting in front of me, slowly undressing himself. His own erection sprang free of his trousers and I wrapped my hand around it and ran my hand slowly and heavily up and down its shaft until it cried a little. Then I took it into my mouth and suckled it like a newborn to a teat, feeling his hands run through my hair and listening to his soft, low moans. I, a Knight of the High Order, was pleasuring my squire, and I enjoyed it to no end. The irony only added to my enjoyment.</p><p>The soft waves of pre-orgasmic pleasure were greater this time than they had been in days, so I broke free of my fantasy for a moment and doffed the rest of my clothing. I lay down on the soft grass, fully nude, and began to run my left hand across my well-muscled body and down to the base of my erection, rolling my stones around in their sack, and continued to stroke my arousal with my right hand. My mind returned to the thoroughly enjoyable task of pleasuring my squire, this time taking him in farther and provoking deeper, more ragged moans from deep within his heaving chest. I tasted his familiar essence as he came into my mouth, sweet and fresh as his own self. And as his cries rang through my mind, I gasped and groaned heavily as my seed emptied across my body in waves. What seemed a long time after the intense pleasure peaked, I finally let go of myself and lay in the grass with my eyes closed, sweating and panting. The image of TarTau lying in front of me, sated and smiling drowsily, faded. After a few minutes of lying there enjoying the light-headed, rapturous feelings, I sat up and cleaned myself up as best as I could. I never had to clean myself up when a squire was around.</p><p>After dressing, I had a small meal of dried meat and bread. I packed up quickly afterward, still intent on making good time. I mounted the horse and set off up the trail, at a slightly faster pace than before. It took only a few minutes for my mind to wander back to TarTau, though, and only a few miles later I had to find another spot to take care of myself.</p><p>I guess I was finally realizing the inevitable. I really needed a squire.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Stranger</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The sun was setting faster than it probably should have been, at least that's what I was thinking. I wasn't too far from the village, but I knew traveling this terrain at night without good light would be suicide, despite my familiarity with it. Deciding to push on and try to make it before the light disappeared completely, I silently cursed my sexual desires for slowing me down so much.</p><p>My horse protested as I pushed him along a very steep downward slope into a wide, ragged valley full of trees and big, sharp, menacing boulders. The fading sun disappeared about the time the path leveled off and pushed through the darkened forest. The usual chorus of night creatures had started, adding a sense of foreboding to the trees that had engulfed us. I knew I had better get through this part as fast as possible, as bandits were most likely to be here, if anywhere. The conditions were perfect: darkening but not quite totally dark yet, making it impossible to distinguish any shapes from any other shapes through the hazy purple blur of dusk; a thick forest that muffled sound; and proximity to a village. I kept my awareness fully focused on my surroundings, watching and listening for anything even slightly out of the ordinary.</p><p>A sudden cry made me jump. Then, silence. Well, not silence, just the usual cacophony of crickets and frogs around me. The cry was distant, but distinct. It was a cry of surprise or pain, to be sure. Someone was in distress.<br/>This could be a distraction, I thought to myself. This could be a particularly clever band of thieves with a good ploy to trick any good Samaritan that might happen by. No, too well-timed to be random. I must have been spotted.</p><p>Then the cry happened again, this time more a little sustained and less clear. I could not ignore it, even though I had the distinct feeling of falling into a trap. There was a chance that someone was in need of help, and I couldn't ignore that possibility. Besides, it would take a lot to defeat me. My training provided me with the ability to take on multiple opponents with differing weapons at once; I'd even managed to kill seven well-armed bandits with only my hands once.  Never mind that the number tends to increment every time I tell about it...</p><p>I turned down a barely-worn path into the forest.  I kept a quick pace but was keeping my eyes and ears wide open.  It was only a short way to the clearing where the sound came from, but the thickness of the trees made the sound seem much further away.  There were two figures standing over a third on the ground, one of which was holding a club.  The other appeared to be rummaging through a bag, which probably belonged to whomever was crumpled on the ground.  I dismounted and lunged forward with my sword drawn.  The two figures turned quickly and upon seeing me, jumped back.  The smaller one that had been searching the bag dropped it and stumbled back, and the other brought the club into the air as I approached.  The club fell behind him onto the ground as my sword cut his neck open like a fish's belly.  The other one stumbled into the nearby trees, barking something.</p><p>I stole a quick glance at the figure on the ground.  It was a young man, probably sixteen or so, lying on his back unconscious.  He didn't seem to be seriously injured, at least as far as I could tell in a split second, so I quickly scanned the surroundings for any signs of assailants. I didn't have to look very far.  Three figures leaped out from behind trees, one with a club and two with knives.  Instantly I knew I wasn't in for a challenge, as the way they came at me was rushed and chaotic, lacking any fighting style or forethought. The largest of them was slightly ahead and got the first swing at me with his dirk.  The move was slow and heavy, and before he even could complete his follow-through, I smashed him in the nose with the butt of my hand, causing a crunching noise.  The first of them had collapsed in a graceless heap about the time the other two were close enough to attack.  The one on the left was short but stocky, brandishing a club bigger around than his neck.  It came down surprisingly fast, nearly striking me in the left shoulder.  As I jumped right to avoid the shillelagh, a knife held by the one on the right whizzed by my face, coming much closer to my cheek than it should have.  I dispatched him quickly with a well-placed kick to the septum, allowing me enough distance from the shorter one to bring my sword around and stick it through his neck as his club was coming back around.</p><p>Then I felt something knock me back hard enough to make me fall on my backside.  A shocking and hot sensation went through my body as I realized an arrow had wedged itself in my shoulder.  As I flipped backwards on to my feet, another arrow grazed my leg.  Before I even landed, two daggers from my boot were in the air towards the general direction in the trees where the arrows came from.  A strangled cry in roughly the same voice as the was short man from earlier sounded, probably the only indication that at least one of my skills hadn't totally abandoned me.</p><p>I crouched on the ground with one hand propping me up for a leap and another holding my bloodied sword at the ready.  For about a minute, I sat like that, listening for any other sounds.  The pain in my shoulder was pretty intense, much greater than it should be.  I ignored it as long as I could, but after I was almost totally sure that I'd vanquished any present threats, I sat back on my rear and examined the arrow in my left shoulder.  I hadn't yanked it out immediately, as it might have struck an artery and removing it could cause more damage. It seemed to be a rather shallow injury, though; my leather armor cut down its velocity considerably.  The severe pain from the wound, however, would most likely be poison.  I yanked off my left glove, bit down on it, and pulled the arrow free with a quick jerk.  I screamed into my glove as the wound was voided and sat for a moment breathing and fighting the nausea.  Then, I ripped off the left sleeve of my shirt and tied it as best I could around the wound. When I was done, I sat back and panted for a few minutes.  Then I remembered the boy.</p><p>I hopped up and ran the few yards over to him, and looked him over more carefully.  He had a few scratches on his face, and the rest of him was covered by a thick cloak.  I sat down next to him and listened to his breathing, which was shallow but steady.  I brought the arrow up to examine in what was now mostly starlight and a pale reflection of the sun off the half-moon that was almost directly overhead.  The arrow didn't look strange, but upon sniffing it, I detected a familiar, sour odor.  Definitely poison. Drake's breath.  Fortunately, being a Knight of the High Order, I had developed a pseudo-immunity to most poisons, though I was going to be weak for days from it, and in no shape to ride or fight in only a few minutes.  I had to find some kind of shelter, and soon.  The village was only a short ways beyond this forest, but I doubted I could make it, and I couldn't leave the kid here.</p><p>Leaning over him, I shook him gently.  After a moment, he groaned and slowly opened his eyes. When he finally focused on me, he got a horrified expression and opened his mouth to scream.  He was still too groggy from being knocked unconscious, though, so it came out as more of a forced groan.</p><p>"Ssh... keep quiet. I'm not going to hurt you," I said in as reassuring of a voice as I could.</p><p>He looked at me with wide, shaking eyes, but didn't try to scream again.  I smiled at him as friendly as I could, noticing that my limbs were already starting to feel heavy and numb.  In the feeble light, I thought I saw him smile back hesitantly at me, though I couldn't be sure.</p><p>"Who... are you?" he said.</p><p>I groaned, feeling worse by the second.  Ignoring his question, I said "How hurt are you?"</p><p>"Uh... not much. I'm okay."</p><p>"Can you ride a horse?"</p><p>He didn't answer.  I choked back another wave of nausea and said, "I'm in trouble here.  I gotta get to the village up ahead.  Can you ride for me?"</p><p>"Yeah... I can.  Hang on."  He sat up and shook his head.  After holding it for a second, he stood up shakily and stumbled a bit towards my horse.  He grabbed its reins and led it over to where I was.  "Here," he said.  I grabbed his arm and he pulled me up rather easily, considering he was probably a head shorter than me and much skinnier.  I couldn't really tell distinctly about that, though, since his cloak was rather voluminous and hid him well.  He grabbed his bag from where it had fallen on the ground and hopped up into the saddle gracefully.  He extended his arm out, and I grabbed on and used the rest of my meager strength to clamber up to sit behind him.  Once up, I collapsed against him, my arms wrapped around his waist.  Despite my fading consciousness, I actually enjoyed that one moment.  To me, at that one moment, it was TarTau I had my arms around.  My last conscious thought was holding TarTau in my arms, sitting on my horse, riding off through the trees.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Inn</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A swirl of air rolled around me, in horrible and awesome colors like sun-blue and black-white.  Chaos.  Uncontrollable thoughts and fears... a lost feeling, plunging downward towards the unknown. Familiar faces appeared and disappeared, distorted and nonsensical.  Things I couldn't see pulled at my feet, scratching and stretching my skin and causing shocks of visible electric pain to pulse up to my head, exploding on contact with my eyes.  I would hit the ground many times but somehow keep falling.  I would try to cry out but my chest wouldn't move.  I wanted to panic but I couldn't even breathe.</p><p>And then I felt something cool on my head.  A sensation that seemed alien to my surroundings cut through all the violent colors and disorder, pooling at the front of my mind. Soon, the madness subsided, everything slowed down, colors muted.  Eventually, it was resolved to a calm blackness, with only the refreshing feeling to be sensed.  I focused on it as best I could, and after a little while I began to feel a firm softness below me.  Then, the sound of soft voices somewhere distant.  After that, a little bit of light; the reddish light one sees through one's eyelids when they're closed.</p><p>I opened my eyes.</p><p>A blur of earthy colors greeted my eyes.  I tried to focus on something, which was difficult.  A voice, muffled, said something I tried to make out, but it was too muffled.  As my faculties came back to me slowly, I realized there was a blur close to me, vaguely humanoid, and the sound seemed to be coming from it.</p><p>"I think he's waking."</p><p>I blinked a few times, and finally focused.  There was an old man with wild, salt-and-pepper hair hunched over me, holding a wet rag on my forehead.  I stared at him, confused.  I didn't realize where I was or what had happened to me.</p><p>"..." I opened my mouth to try and ask what was going on, but my voice wasn't cooperating.  I could only open and close my mouth, but the old man seemed to anticipate my question and smiled.</p><p> "You're in Gau Tal," he said. I recognized the name... what was it?  "You were poisoned."</p><p>Then it came back to me... the fight, the arrow wound, the numbing pain, the village... the village was Gau Tal.  And the boy.</p><p>"Whuh?" I said, suddenly lifting my head up and looking around suddenly.  There was a severely wrinkled old woman with thin, coarse, white hair falling on her shoulders, standing near the foot of the bed holding a bowl.  She smiled at me, with a bit of a worried look.  The room was small, the walls and ceiling made from thick wooden beams.  A window on the wall next to my bed showed the blue daytime sky, mottled with thin clouds.  A chair sat in the corner, with my leather armor folded on it.  A bed, identical to mine, sat against the opposite wall, unoccupied and neatly made.  I looked down at my body, remembering my injury.  My shoulder had been dressed with a fresh bandage, and was only slightly stained red right over the wound.  A blanket was up to my waist, exposing my bare torso.</p><p>"You're a soldier, aren't you?" the old woman asked, looking at me with a curious eye.</p><p>"Maga, please," the old man said gently, waving his hand downward.</p><p>"You survived drake's breath," she said without hostility, ignoring him.  "I've never seen anyone survive drake's breath.  What kind of soldier are you?"</p><p>I groaned and laid my head back.  I felt much less disoriented now that I'd realized where I was and how I'd gotten there.  I was incredibly tired, though, and could barely move my limbs.  Breathing was work enough for me.  The old woman was right about the poison, it was a killer.  If it hadn't been for months of poison immunity drills, taking tiny, controlled doses on a monthly basis, I would have been worm food by then.  And even those tiny doses would put me off food or activity for at least a day.  For the amount I'd had, I'd be surprised if I was up and walking anytime soon.</p><p>Mustering strength, I opened my mouth again and this time managed to creak out a few words. "Where... where is..."</p><p>The old man put the rag in the bowl that the woman was holding and looked at me.  "The boy who brought you in? He left yesterday."</p><p>I felt disappointed.  I didn't know why.  I guess I wanted to thank him for taking me here.</p><p>"He brought you in two nights ago and we put you up in our inn," the old woman continued.  "The lad stayed while we fixed you up and sat here all night.  Yesterday morning, once he knew you would survive, he left."</p><p>I shook my head.  I was hoping they might have some idea who he was, so I could at least find him.  I closed my eyes, feeling tired all of a sudden.<br/>"He wasn't your companion, was he?"</p><p>I opened my eyes and looked at her.  I wasn't quite sure what she meant by that.</p><p>"Funny, him running off like that.  We thought he was your... travelling companion, or..."  She left that thought unfinished.</p><p>I closed my eyes again.  "Didn't know him..." I mumbled.</p><p>I don't remember anything after that point, as I fell asleep immediately.  This time, though, my sleep was much more calm and restful.  By the time I woke up again, the sun had set, and the sky was the same hue it was when I first came into the valley two days ago.  I was alone in the room, but there was an oil lamp burning on a night table between the two beds, giving adequate light to look around again.  Things were as they were when I last awoke, except my clothes were nowhere to be seen.  I managed to sit up, my head swirling dizzily.  I sat for a few minutes hunched over, holding my head with one hand.  The spinning subsided after a while, though, and I felt well enough to attempt to get up.  I was in desperate need to use the privy, too, and I didn't really like the idea of bedpans.</p><p>I threw the blanket off me.  Fortunately, I still had my cloth trousers on, and the night wasn't chilly enough to require a shirt.  I struggled to get my legs around, and put my feet down on the floor.  After another moment, I pushed myself up and stood, although shakily.  I made totally sure I was strong enough to walk, and then made my way over to the door.  Opening it, I stepped out into the narrow, dark, wood-paneled hallway and went downstairs and out to the outhouse behind the building to relieve myself.  Feeling more and more mobile, I went back in and found my way to the front of the inn, where a large dining room and bar was sitting mostly empty, save for a few groups that looked like locals and one band of weathered travelers.  The place was suddenly familiar to me, and I remembered stopping by here a long time ago.  Still slightly weary, I sat at the bar and looked around.  The bar's back shelf had a row of colored glass bottles along the back and a stack of mostly clean-looking glasses at both ends.  The counter I was sitting at was a dark wood, rather marred but recently shellacked, and was totally cleared off except for an empty glass at the end opposite me.  There was also a large mirror over the back counter, reflecting my image.  I looked pretty good for being half-dead for two days, though I was still pale and my short brown hair was a mess.  I attempted to brush it into some appearance of order with my hands, but as I lifted my left arm, I was painfully reminded of why I was here in the first place.  No one seemed to notice me, despite the fact that I was sitting there shirtless with a bloody bandage around my shoulder.  I guess it probably wasn't an uncommon occurrence around here. <br/>After a few minutes, the door behind the bar opened, and the old man stepped out.  "Oh, you're up and about!" he said unnecessarily.  He walked over to me and said, "How are you feeling?"</p><p>"Better," I said, rubbing my shoulder gently.  "Thank you, by the way, for helping me."</p><p>He smiled and shrugged.  "Hey, it wasn't a problem at all.  I figured you were a good man.  Now, do you want something to eat?"</p><p>"I'd love something to eat," I said.  The smells from the kitchen were quickly replacing any nausea that was still lingering with painful hunger.  The old man went back through the door, and I rubbed my hands together</p><p>When the food got there, I ate everything, not caring how it tasted.  It was delicious anyway, and I devoured it in no time.  After I was done, I ventured outside to look around.  I was feeling quite good, surprisingly so, considering how ill I was just a few hours ago.  Immunity training had really paid off.  The main street, on which the inn sat, was cobbled with large, flat stones brought in most likely from the surrounding rocky fields.  There were a few torches burning in the center square, but there was no one out and about.  The night life in this village wasn't terribly exciting, I thought to myself.  I sat down on the wide stone rim of the covered well in the center of the square and looked around.  The surrounding buildings were all two-story, mostly homes, and most were already dark inside.  There was another inn on the opposite side from my inn, with the faint strains of music coming from the lighted windows.  I guessed that that was probably the main pub for the village, and the place I was staying was more for meals and overnight guests.  Oh well, I didn't feel much like going in there, especially as I wasn't exactly dressed for the occasion.  I looked up into the sky, watching tongues of smoke drift up from a few buildings, and stared at the moon.  It was waxing, and was brighter than it was when I was fighting those bandits a few nights ago.</p><p>Then I thought of the boy that I had saved there, and who wound up saving me in return.  There wasn't any life debt for me to worry about, but I did want to see him again, just to thank him and find out who he was and what he was doing out there in the forest.  I barely remembered his face, and I don't think if I looked for him I would even recognize him.</p><p>Then I saw a dark, cloaked figure walking towards me on the street, a few hundred feet away.  Instead of coming towards me, though, it turned into the inn I was staying at.  I wondered for a moment if it could possibly be the boy.  I kind of doubted that, but my curiosity was piqued.  I padded over on my bare feet towards the inn and just as I was opening the door, someone in a cloak pushed the door open and, still looking back into the inn, ran blindly into my chest.</p><p>The figure made a sharp yell of surprise and jumped back.  I looked down at the face that greeted me and recognized him immediately.  It was the same boy.  Something inside me was quite happy, or just relieved, to see him again.</p><p>"You!" he said, and stared at me. I watched his eyes do a once-over on me, and then a twice-over, stopping a little at eye-level, which was my chest.</p><p>I stood there feeling a little awkward.  "Hey... you're the one that saved me, aren't you?" I asked him.</p><p>"Um... yeah."</p><p>"Hey, come on in.  I wanted to thank you properly for that."</p><p>"Um... No, really, I've got to--"</p><p>"Oh, come on. Have you eaten?"</p><p>He shrugged and looked down at the ground.  "Not for a while."</p><p>I put my hand on his shoulder gently and led him in.  He seemed reluctant for some reason to accept my gratitude, something I couldn't understand.  I wanted to get some answers out of him, but right now all I was getting were more questions.</p><p>We sat down at a table.  He didn't look at me for a few minutes, so I asked him, "Who are you?"</p><p>He shrugged and continued to watch the floorboards as if they were about to get up and dance.  I frowned a bit.  "Well, my name is Tiamek... I'm a knight.  You saved my life, and I want to know who you are."</p><p>He looked up.  "Well, you saved mine too."  Then he looked back down with an embarrassed look.  "I'm sorry... I just..."</p><p>I put my hand on top of his.  I don't know what made me do it, but it was instinctual and felt right.  He gave me a surprised look, but didn't move his hand away.  Touching him sent tingles up my body.  His skin was so soft and smooth, almost supple, and felt wonderful under the callused skin of my palm.  His eyes, widened from my action, shone up at me with a brilliant green, reflecting the lamplight on the table, and the few locks of blonde hair that had escaped his hood and fell down his forehead looked like spun gold.  His face was still smooth like a boy's but was angled sharply very much like a man's.  I couldn't tell exactly how old he was, but overall he seemed to be about seventeen or so, though I knew I could be off by five years in either direction.</p><p>After a moment, he lowered his face and smiled.  "Benek."</p><p>"Hmm?" I said, still caught up in his eyes.</p><p>"My name.  Benek."</p><p>I held his hand where it was.  "Benek."  I liked the sound coming off my tongue.  "So, Benek, if you don't mind my asking, what were you doing out there?"</p><p>He got an uncomfortable look on his face and pulled his hand away gently.  I continued to look at him, but he just shrugged and avoided my glance.<br/> The old woman came out of the back then, and came over to us.  "Oh, I see you've returned!" she said to him, and he smiled semi-politely and turned away from her to watch a few travelers across the room drink and rabble. <br/>"He'll have supper," I said for him.  She smiled and went back into the kitchen.  I cleared my throat and after a moment, he turned back to me. <br/>"You know, you're being awfully evasive," I said.  He didn't answer, but he looked like he was about to.  I let it go for now.  His dinner arrived shortly, and he ate it about as quickly as I ate mine.  He really must have been hungry.  As I watched him shovel the food down, I speculated about where he had come from and what he was doing here.  He obviously didn't live in town, or they would know who he was.  He probably ran away from home, or was on some kind of mission, or was just wandering around homeless.  The cloak gave some indication to one of the former reasons though, as it was in good condition and looked well-made.  If he were bald, I would assume that he was a monk, as the robe looked similar enough.  Maybe a monk in training?  That wouldn't explain why he was up in the mountains though, as there weren't any monasteries around these parts.  His mannerisms and speech were definitely not low-class though.</p><p>Benek had finished his dinner after only a few minutes.  Once the plate was cleared, he looked around uncomfortably.</p><p>"You have a place to stay?"</p><p>After a moment, he shrugged.  "I've been sleeping in the stables."</p><p>"I've got an extra bed.  You're welcome to stay with me."</p><p>"No, I really--"</p><p>"Benek," I said.  I really liked saying that, like a secret word.  "Really, I'd feel a lot better if you did.  You don't have to tell me where you came from or what you're doing, but I feel... responsible."</p><p>He rolled his eyes, and I quickly added, "Not like that.  I'm not really that much older than you.  I don't really know you, but I just thought that you're sort of a friend, and I'm concerned.  Really, come on."</p><p>Benek looked at me, studying my face.  I knew he was checking for insincerity, but I just looked natural.  I was concerned about him, and for some reason I felt like I WAS responsible for him.  In a friendly way.</p><p>Finally, he smiled and said, "Okay.  I'm sorry.  I don't mean to be rude.  I've just... been through a lot."</p><p>We got up and went upstairs to my room.  I closed the door behind me, and he sat on the tidier of the beds.  I walked over to mine and sat down, and we just looked at each other for a while.  Finally, I said, "I'd better get some rest... I'm still kind of tired."</p><p>He gave me a puzzling look.  "They said you were going to die.  They said drake's breath is always fatal.  I sat here all night, feeling responsible for your death.  But then you got better.  How?"</p><p>"I told you I'm a knight.  I built up immunity to it."</p><p>"Where are you from?" he said, his eyes narrowing.</p><p>I yawned, starting to feel really worn out.  I liked talking with him but I knew I needed to get to sleep.  "Ask me tomorrow. I've really got to rest." </p><p>He shrugged and stood up.  As I lay down in bed, I watched with half-closed eyes as he finally pulled his cloak off.  He had his back to me, and all I could see of him was dark leather trousers, a white cloth shirt, and golden hair pulled back in a ponytail.  It reached all the way down to his backside, braided carefully and well-maintained.  In the lamplight it shone like fire.  It was gorgeous, and I couldn't help but wonder how a traveler like him could have such long, healthy, beautiful hair.  Then he turned around and sat down on his bed.  He lazily yawned and stretched his arms back in the air so his elbows pointed towards the ceiling, and then he pulled his shirt out from where it was tucked into his pants.  The leather of the pants hugged his hips tightly, and showed off the boy's pride very nicely.  I was suddenly getting a very severe erection from watching him, which only worsened when he pulled the shirt up over his head.  As he stood there half-naked, folding his shirt up neatly, I was stunned at how his body was so smooth and slender yet still respectably muscular.  His skin was perfect, completely lacking scars or marks, and the lines of his narrow waist and firm belly disappeared serpent-like into his trousers.  His chest wasn't large but was almost twice as wide as his tiny waist, and his pectoral muscles were tight and square, and his nipples had a soft, totally unweathered texture.</p><p>He didn't appear to notice the fact that I was staring at him, but he did kind of look over at me hesitantly after his shirt was folded.  "Mind if I...?" he said, hooking his thumbs into his pants.  I gave him as innocent and indifferent look as I could, and he stood and slid the pants down his lithe body like a dagger sliding out of its sheath.  Turned away from me, he stood there completely naked, folding his pants and placing them under his shirt.  He climbed into bed somewhat awkwardly, as if he was trying to be modest without looking like he was modest.  "Goodnight, and thanks again," he said as he blew out the lamp.</p><p>"You're welcome, Benek," I said, lingering on his name.  It was dark in there, save a little moonlight coming through the window. I was going insane with lust, lying there in the silent darkness, helpless to the sight I just witnessed.  Burned into my eyelids was the image of Benek standing there naked, facing away from me, his golden hair spilling down his smooth back and brushing the top of his round backside.  I knew that if he had turned around then, I would have probably come.  I also knew that I would have to take care of myself before I could sleep, despite the fact that I was dead tired.  I pulled my pants down as silently as I could without another thought, and tended to myself as quickly as possible.  It took only a few seconds for me to climax, and the feeling was so intense that all I could do is focus on the image of Benek and come all over myself, trying not to gasp or groan audibly.</p><p>I then realized that I had no way to clean myself up.  Crap.  I disposed of the aftermath the only way I could think of -- by wiping it on a corner of the sheets.  I hoped whoever did the laundry here wouldn't think any less of me, but the guilt disappeared almost immediately as I plunged into a wonderfully deep sleep.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Companion</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A cool breeze blew across my face and tickled my nose, waking me up from a restful, contented sleep.  I felt better than I had in days, finally having worked all the poison out of my system.  I yawned and stretched, not bothering to get up yet.  I put crossed my arms behind my head and stared up at the ceiling, enjoying the relaxed feeling and cool air coming from the partially open window.</p><p>Then I heard a long, lingering yawn from across the small room.  Turning my head suddenly, I was greeted by the sight of a young man lying on his side, facing my direction.  His arms were tucked around the back of his head in a powerful morning stretch.  The blankets came up barely to his hips, leaving only the most intimate parts of him to my suddenly racing imagination.</p><p>Then he looked over at me and got a strange look on his face.</p><p>I smiled at him, which seemed to put him a little more at ease.  "Morning, Benek," I said, trying not to jump out of my bed into his.  I was also trying not to make it obvious that I wanted to, but only after his gaze lingered a bit to the south of my face did I realize my usual morning arousal was making itself obvious under the thin sheet that was up to my waist.  I also realized that I'd doffed my pants the night before, so getting up while maintaining some dignity would be nigh impossible.</p><p>I cleared my throat awkwardly, and sat up.  Not knowing what else to do, I threw the sheets back, exposing myself to him fully, and quickly stood and went for my pants.  I glanced at him as I stood at the foot of my bed unfolding my pants.  His eyes were nearly bugging out of his head as he stared at my erection, which was pointing straight up and so swollen it was almost painful.  I shrugged casually, feeling my cheeks getting hot.  "Morning condition... ya know."</p><p>He looked up at me and gave a cautious half-smile.  "Yeah... I get that too," he said a little softly, blushing slightly.</p><p>I felt a little less embarrassed at this comment, but I still dressed as quickly as I could, trying not to think about the beautiful naked boy sitting six feet away.  I folded my leather armor under my arm and turned to face him.  "I'm leaving today... you're very welcome to come with me as far as you want."</p><p>He looked down at the bed in front of him and shrugged.</p><p>"Where are you heading?"  I asked, pushing as gently as I could.</p><p>"I don't know."</p><p>I stood there for a moment, and he just looked around, avoiding my eyes.  "Well... I'm going to go order breakfast," I said, opening the door.  "I'll meet you downstairs."</p><p>I stepped out into the hallway and closed the door, giving myself a moment to compose myself.  For a moment, I had felt my self-control faltering in there.  Getting out of the room was a wise decision.  Plus, it would give him a moment of privacy to get dressed.  I didn't want him to feel any less comfortable than I'd most likely made him.</p><p>I went down to the stables and retrieved my money pouch from my saddle bag, which was fortunately still intact.  Then I went inside to get breakfast ordered.  A few minutes later, Benek came down and sat down at the table opposite me.  He looked perfectly calm and rested, and smiled at me readily when I looked at him.  "Thanks again for letting me stay with you, Tiamek," he said, his brilliant green eyes staring right into the back of mine.  </p><p>The sound of him saying my name sent electricity up my back.  It was the first time he had said it, and it sounded beautiful coming from between those thin, soft lips.  I thought that my arousal might knock the table over if he continued to look at me like that.  Fortunately, a young woman from the kitchen emerged and dropped off two wooden plates with dark sausage, hard rolls, and preserves, and we both dug into it like it would disappear if neglected.</p><p>I finished first, though, and while Benek finished off the last of the rolls, I went over to the bar where the old man was and pulled out a silver twenty-piece from my pouch.  "Thank you so much again for your hospitality," I smiled.</p><p>He looked at the coin I'd placed on the counter and then up at me.  Finally, he gave me a kind smile and said, "You know that's far too much."</p><p>I just smiled and said, "I disagree."</p><p>Benek appeared at my side and suddenly plopped his satchel down on the counter.  "Benek, it's okay, I've got it covered."</p><p>"No, I have money, I..." he said, digging though the bag.  He suddenly got a sick look on his face.  "I had... I had money in here."</p><p>The old man gave him a grandfatherly look of concerned and smiled sympathetically.  I put my hand on his shoulder.  "Hey, don't worry about it... I'll-- "</p><p>He closed his eyes tightly and exhaled with a slight groan.  Then he turned and rushed out the front door with his bag.  I exchanged a look of concern with the old man, and then hurried outside after him.</p><p>"Benek!  Wait!"  I said as I came outside.  I had to look around a bit to find him.  He was standing at the entrance to the inn's stables, staring straight ahead into the mountainside.  I stood slightly behind him and put my left hand on his left shoulder.</p><p>"What am I going to...?" he said shakily.  "I had ten gold left!  I.... I have nothing now... what am I...?"  He choked on the last word and hung his head.  I put my other hand on his other shoulder and pulled him closer to me.  He let out a choked sob.</p><p>"Benek... I told you, you can go with me as far as you want.  I mean it."</p><p>He turned around and looked up at me.  His eyes were red and a tear streaked down his cheek.  "I can't... I don't know where I'm going but..."</p><p>I pulled him to me and hugged him tightly.  After a moment, he put his arms around my waist and sobbed into my chest.  I rest cheek on the top of his head and slowly stroked his back, enjoying the embrace immensely but also feeling really bad for him.  I felt completely empathetic and truly hoped he'd come with me, not only because I wanted to know he'd be safe, but also because I was becoming horribly fond of him.  I knew I wouldn't take a no for an answer.</p><p>After a while, he pulled away and composed himself.  "I'm sorry."</p><p>"You're coming with me," I said as if it had already been decided.  In my mind, it had.</p><p>He looked up at me and then lowered his eyes.  "I can't.  I don't want to be a burden.  I refuse to be a burden.  That's all I ever was and I won't be anymore."</p><p>I raised an eyebrow at this, wondering what he meant.  My curiosity would have to wait a while longer though, as I wanted to make him totally comfortable with me.  "You won't be.  Really."</p><p>"Yes I will.  I can't pay my way.  What good would I be?"</p><p>I shrugged, suddenly getting an idea.  "Well... you can be my squire for a while..."</p><p>He looked up at me with wide eyes for a moment.  Then he burst into laughter.  Rich, high laughter that betrayed the fact that he'd been crying only a minute ago.  It would have sounded beautiful if it weren't so perplexing.</p><p>"What's wrong?"</p><p>"A squire!  For you!" he said, laughing again.  "Wow... that's really funny."</p><p>I might have been a bit insulted if I weren't so curious.  I couldn't figure out what was so amusing about it.  "What's wrong with that?"</p><p>He smiled and shook his head.  "I guess it'll do," he said.  "I really don't have any other choice."</p><p>This was the first real attitude I sensed in him, and I wasn't sure I totally liked it.  What would be so funny about being my squire was beyond me, and I couldn't help but feeling a little hurt that what I considered to be a valiant offer was ridiculed by him.  Then again, I knew so little about him, I didn't know what to think.</p><p>"I have to warn you, though, I'm not good at being a servant and all that," he said.  </p><p>"Oh... don't worry about that... we'll share the work equally."</p><p>He smiled at me with that beautiful look in his eyes and I forgot even the little bit of offense he'd caused me.  "Thanks," he said, and he jumped into my arms, hugging me like a small child.  Instinctively, put my hand on his cheek and kissed his forehead. </p><p>He backed away, surprised.  For a moment I was afraid that I'd gone too far, but then he smiled coyly, grabbed me by the neck, and kissed me lightly on the lips.</p><p>"We'd better get moving then," he said casually as he turned away and opened the stall where my horse was.  I just stood there numbly, lost in total shock.  By the time I had enough sense to see again, the horse was already in front of me and packed up with our gear.  The kiss lingered at the front of my head and barely left me enough consciousness to clumsily mount up.  I looked down to where he stood next to me and the horse and gazed into his eyes.  The morning sun shimmered off his golden hair and bathed him in a warm light, and the breeze lightly carried his few loose locks of hair in its embrace as it passed by.  I was in love.</p><p>He stared back at me and said something that didn't register.  I was too busy drinking him in and wishing his soft lips were still on mine.</p><p>Then I remembered he had said something, maybe an hour or two ago, or so it seemed.  "Huh?"</p><p>"I said, you gonna help me up?"</p><p>I dumbly stuck an arm out and he lightly lifted himself up behind me.  He wrapped his arms around my waist and pressed his body up tightly against mine.  "Let's go then!  Which way?"</p><p>His body pressed against mine was too much to handle, and I had to get my mind focused or I'd ride us off a cliff.  "Uhh... north," I said, and guided the horse onto the path and through town.  I looked back at him as we left the small town and started the slow climb up the much smoother road out of town, towards the highest pass and the kingdoms beyond it.  He smiled at me as if nothing had happened earlier... just a warm, casual smile that still felt really good.</p><p>"So how far are you going to go with me?" I said.</p><p>"Oh... we'll see," he shrugged, smiling again.  "This is all new to me."</p><p>I let the meaning of that slide, as I had way too much to think about already.  We rode silently for most of the rest of that day.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And this is where I lost interest 20 years ago.  I think I advanced their relationship a bit too fast and painted myself into a corner. </p><p>My intention was that Benek (actually a pseudonym) was the youngest prince of a rival kingdom who'd run away only a few weeks' previous and was trying (and failing) to make a new destiny for himself.  He and Tiamek obviously fall in love and there was to be some drama when Tiamek got back home and Benek's identity was revealed, but where from there the story was going to go I never really figured out.</p>
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